Softball coach takes cues from her time as a Celtic

Lucy Shaw, a 2000 graduate of McNary High School, returned to the school 10 years ago as an assistant coach. (KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald)

By ERIC A. HOWALDOf the Keizertimes

Lucy Shaw’s McNary High School volleyball and softball teams did quite well for themselves in her senior year, but don’t ask her for the number of wins and losses.

“I remember what happened on the bus trip to the state tournament or what happened at the hotel, not how many games we won. I’m still really close with all of my volleyball and softball teammates. The biggest thing was the relationships,” Shaw said.

On the volleyball team, Shaw played under Dan Borreson, who still teaches at the school, but is no longer a coach. She played under Jeff Auvinen in softball and tries hard to create the same chemistry she saw her teams develop.

“Borreson has this amazing ability to see the best in every athlete and student, and pull it out of them. I’ve never worked as hard in my life as I did for him. Auvinen was always working just as hard right alongside us,” she said.

Both coaches are large influences on how she interacts with the girls as an assistant coach in the varsity softball program today.

“Mike Maghan told me once that for a team to succeed it has to have talent, a lot of luck and chemistry. Talent and luck aren’t things we can control, but chemistry is something I can contribute to,” she said.

Shaw started as an assistant coach in the volleyball and softball programs a decade ago, but her own family – a third son is on the way next month – limits how much time she has to spare and Shaw focuses it on softball.

She took a page from Borreson’s book when looking for tools to help the team find allies in each other. Shaw has each member of the roster keep a journal of daily and weekly happenings and responds to them in private trying to impart life, as well as softball, lessons.

“Borreson used it the same way, but the journal work we do also builds a lot of trust among the team,” she said.

For example, earlier this season, the Lady Celts faced a road game where few things were going their way. Everything from parking to the weather to their own performances seemed to benefit the opposing team.

“I used it as an opportunity to get them writing about the obstacles they face and how we can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react and how we treat other people,” Shaw said.